The pianist Art Tatum died more than fifty years ago, yet his amazing playing and recordings left an indelible mark on jazz and continue to astonish and inspire excellence for today's pianists in all genres of music.

The tunes on this CD have never been previously released and the music was originally recorded live on Steve Allen's Tonight Show and in clubs in New York, Washington D.C. and Chicago during the year before Tatum died.

You can't overestimate Lester Young's importance on the development of modern jazz. His superb melodic gift and logical phrasing and smooth, flowing lines were the inspiration for most of the jazz musicians born after 1920.